Ted Danson stars in A Man on The Inside as Charles, who goes undercover in a retirement community.COLLEEN E. HAYES/Netflix
September, 2026, will mark five years without a new James Bond movie – and, with no announcement of who’ll play the iconic spy in any coming films, Bond fans have a longer wait ahead of them yet. So if you’ve worked your way through The Americans, chuckled at Get Smart’s antics, remember the days of Alias, Charlie’s Angels and MacGyver and are still looking for something to satisfy your need for a spy on screen, here are 10 shows to add to your watch list.
Animated series Archer, a James Bond parody set at a fictional intelligence agency, ran for 14 seasons.FX
Archer
This 2009 animated series revolves around a volatile secret agent named Sterling Archer and his dysfunctional colleagues at a fictional New York intelligence agency. It’s a James Bond parody that ran for 14 seasons on FX with great comedic timing and adult humour packed into each 22-minute episode. It also features a notable voice cast, including H. Jon Benjamin, Judy Greer, Aisha Tyler, Jessica Walter and Chris Parnell. If you need a new adult animated series, this one doesn’t disappoint.
Stream it now on Prime Video
A Man on the Inside
Ted Danson is the suave but clumsy spy you didn’t know you needed in your life in Michael Schur’s (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) adaptation of a 2020 Chilean documentary. The first season follows Charles (Danson) as he goes undercover in a retirement community to learn more about how the residents are treated. The result is a heartfelt and deep look at a generation that’s so easily forgotten, with lots of comedic beats thanks to co-stars such as Sally Struthers and Stephanie Beatriz. The verdict is still out on the second season, but the first is a definite gem.
Stream it now on Netflix
Chuck
Before Zachary Levi was Shazam and ahead of Yvonne Strahovski making headlines for her work in The Handmaid’s Tale, the pair co-starred in this 2007 unlikely spy comedy series. Levi’s Chuck is a computer nerd who accidentally downloaded government secrets into his brain, and as a result the CIA and NSA assigns an agent (Strahovski) to protect him. The series also stars Scott Krinsky and Canadian Vik Sahay as Chuck’s Nerd Herd buddies and features lots of fish-out-of-water laughs.
Stream it now on Prime Video
Robert Downey Jr. and Hoa Xuande in The Sympathizer.HBO / Crave
The Sympathizer
This 2024 limited series from Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar is based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. It tells the story of a North Vietnamese communist spy embedded in Vietnam who flees to the United States after Saigon falls. While there are plenty of traditional spy elements, the seven-part offering explores identity and culture, as well as a new perspective of the Vietnam War. The Captain (Hoa Xuande) is an unreliable narrator and a double agent, which adds complexity to the project. Then there’s Robert Downey Jr., whose double roles in the series are oddly comical.
Stream it now on Crave
The Sandbaggers
If you love the idea of spies carrying out missions but can’t deal with another explosive and unrealistic stunt, this 1978 series is for you. It revolves around players in the British Secret Service during the Cold War, and doles out scenes filled with tense and realistic takes of the spy life. It’s not all high-speed chases and cool costumes; The Sandbaggers explores the politics, morals and hard decisions of it all, making it a must-see.
Stream it now on BritBox
TURN: Washington’s Spies
If you want to learn more about the real-life rise of spies and prefer your shows with a gritty historical twist, this four-season series dramatizes the true events of the Culper Ring, America’s first spy ring. It takes place during the Revolutionary War and follows a group of childhood friends who form the unlikely group, with soapy elements intertwined with recreated actual events. Like most series of this nature, take what you learn with a grain of salt. Still, there’s nothing else quite like it in the spy genre and that alone makes it worth watching.
Stream it now on AMC+
Gary Oldman plays the head of a low-level MI5 department full of misfits in Slow Horses.Jack English/Apple tv
Slow Horses
This continuing Gary Oldman-led series is based on the Slough House novels by Mick Herron and trades in stories of slick spies for disgraced ones. It revolves around a group of MI5 agents who have been exiled into the low-level department after career-ending mistakes. It’s gritty and dark, but it also subverts many of the spy themes we’re used to seeing. The result is a gripping and critically acclaimed drama with plenty of source material to keep it going for a few more seasons.
Stream it now on Apple TV+
The Ipcress File
At first glance you may want to compare this miniseries (not to be confused with the 1965 Michael Caine-led movie) to James Bond. However, this is a grittier and more realistic take, one that centres on the working class rather than the elite. It tells the story of an ex-smuggler turned reluctant spy (Joe Cole) during the Cold War, and his undercover mission to find a missing nuclear scientist. Over six episodes there are top-notch performances from the likes of Tom Hollander and Lucy Boynton, and a story that delivers great thrills and suspense.
Stream it now on Acorn TV
Burn Notice
If campy, sexy spy series are your thing, there are seven seasons of the Jeffrey Donovan-led Burn Notice to settle in with. The 2007 show first made its debut during the “blue skies” era of USA Network, a time that produced series such as White Collar and Suits. There’s a definite Suits tone to this show, which revolves around a discredited spy who finds himself alone and without options. So he heads to Miami and picks up a slew of impossible jobs, with lots of antics and guest stars along the way.
Stream it now on Disney+
Donald Glover and Maya Erskine in Mr. and Mrs. Smith.David Lee/Amazon Prime
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Last year’s revival of the franchise that everyone remembers for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s chemistry and off-screen romance wound up being a fun and fresh take that stands out on its own merits. The chemistry and timing between leads Donald Glover and Maya Erskine is impeccable, and with guest stars including Parker Posey, Paul Dano, Alexander Skarsgard and Ron Perlman, there’s always a new side story to look forward to. The second season is on hold owing to casting issues, which is unfortunate after the cliffhanger ending. However, it’s still one to watch after an impressive 16 Emmy nominations.
Stream it now on Prime Video